Screwdriver level

ABSTRACT

A screwdriver having a transparent handle and a plurality of bubble-level cavities spaced apart within said handle and at different angles to the longitudinal axis of the screwdriver. The tool is further characterized by a rest member slidably mounted upon the shank of the screwdriver and adapted to be locked in an inoperative position against the handle and an operative position remote from the handle.

United States Patent [191 Cotter June 18, 1974 1 1 SCREWDRIVER LEVEL [76] Inventor: Ashby M. Cotter, Walker St.,

Manchester, Tenn. 37355 22 Filed: Feb. 5, 1973 21 Appl.No.:329,745

[52] US. Cl. 7/1 M, 33/334, 145/61 R [51] Int. Cl. B25f 1/00, G010 9/28 [58] Field of Search 7/1 F, l M; 33/367, 381, 33/334, 375, 376; 145/50 R, 61 R, 61 A, 61

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1927 Sears 7/1 M 2/1929 Duemler 10/1939 Padulo 145/61 R 2,187,192 l/1940 Albrecht 145/61 C X OTHER PUBLICATTONS Modern Plastics, Pages 122 and 123, Apr. 1945.

Primary Examiner-A1 Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-Roscoe V. Parker Attorney, Agent, or Firm-l-1arrington A. Lackey 7 1 ABSTRACT A screwdriver having a transparent handle and a plurality of bubble-level cavities spaced apart within said handle and at different angles to the longitudinal axis of the screwdriver. The tool is further characterized by a rest member slidably mounted upon the shank of the screwdriver and adapted to be locked in an inop erative position against the handle and an operative position remote from the handle.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures SCREWDRIVER LEVEL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a screwdriver tool, and more particularly to a combination screwdriver and level.

Screwdrivers and spriit levels or bubble levels are well known in the art. It is also believed that bubble levels have been combined with other types of devices or tools. However, it is not believed that a level instrument has ever been incorporated within the handle of a screwdriver, much less a bubble level having a plurality of bubbles at different angles to the longitudinal axis of the screwdriver.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a combination screwdriver and level which will afford to the skilled artisan, and particularly electricians and plumbers, a unitary tool having the dual function of a screwdriver and a level. This tool would be particularly valuable to a plumber who must secure pipes by hanger straps to overhead wooden supports, such as the subfloor or joists, by means of screws with a screwdriver, and must also support the pipe either level or at a predetermined angle.

The screwdriver tool made in accordance with this invention includes a transparent handle in which are formed a plurality of elongated cavities partially containing a liquid to form a bubble in each cavity. Moreover, the cavities are not only spaced longitudinally, but are also disposed at a different angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle, preferably pre-set at angles commonly desired for the particular job. The com monly desired angles could be (horizontal), 90 (vertical or plumb), 15, 30 and 45.

The screwdriver handle is preferably of uniform cross section so that its longitudinal exterior surface is straight and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the screwdriver. Thus, the handle surface may fit flush against and along a flat or a straight cylindrical surface of an object to be leveled or set at an angle, such as a pipe.

The screwdriver made in accordance with this invention is also preferably provided with a rest member preferably having the same cross-sectional shape as the handle and having a hole in the center thereof adapted to register with and slidably receive the shank of the screwdriver. The rest member is slidable between an inoperative position flush against the handle of the screwdriver, so that in effect it forms merely the extension of the handle when not in use, and a remote position from the handle where it may also rest against the object to be plumbed to stabilize the tool when used in this capacity. The rest member may also be provided with a means for securing it upon the shank in its inoperative and operative positions, such as a biased ball detent and registering locking recesses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tool made in accordance with this invention disclosing the rest member in an intermediate position; and

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 illustrating the rest member in phantom in its inoperative and operative positions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the screwdriver tool 10 disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes an elongated handle 11 of uniform cross-section and made of a transparent material, such as a clear highimpact plastic material. Fixed rigidly within one end of the handle 11 and projecting therefrom in coaxial alignment is a shank 12 of uniform cross-section, preferably square, having a wedge-shaped screwdriver blade 13 at its free end, in a conventional manner.

Formed within the transparent handle 11 are a plurality of elongated cavities, such as the elongated cavities 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. Each cavity 15 19 is partially filled with a liquid 20 which forms the respective bubbles 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 in each of the cavities 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. It will be noted, particularly in FIG. 2, that the cavities 15 19 are longitudinally spaced within the length of the handle 11, but that each cavity is set at a different angle from the longitudinal axis of the handle 11. For example, the longitudinal axis of the cavity 15 is to the longitudinal axis of the handle 11, while the longitudinal axis of the cavity 16 is either parallel to, or coaxial with, the longitudinal axis of the handle 11, or in other words, the longitudinal axes of the cavity 16 and the handle 11 form an angle of 0. The longitudinal axes of the cavities 17, 18 and 19, form, respectively, angles of 15, 30 and 45 with the longitudinal axis of the handle 11.

Thus, by laying the handle 11 lengthwise upon a flat surface or along the straight edge portion of an object, such as a pipe, the angle of the surface against which the handle 11 is resting can be determined, or approximated, by observation of the cavity in which the corresponding bubble lies substantially mid-way between the ends of the cavity. For example, in FIG. 2, a bubble 22 lies substantially mid-way between the ends of the cavity 16 to indicate that the handle 11 is lying horizontal. Of course, by manipulating the object against which the handle 11 rests, the surface of the object may be established at one of the five angles corresponding to one of the five cavities 15 19. Thus, by moving a pipe along which the handle 11 is resting until the bubble 23 in the cavity 17 is mid-way between the ends of the cavity 17, the pipe may be set at an angle of 15 to the horizontal.

The screwdriver tool 10 also preferably includes a rest member 28, which, as illustrated in the drawings, is of the identical cross-section and shape as the handle 11. A hole 29 is formed longitudinally through the rest member 28 having a shape identical to, but slightly larger than the cross-section of the shank 12, so that the shank 12 may be snugly but slidably received within the hole 29. Thus, the rest member 28 may be slid along the shank 12 toward the handle 11 until it abuts against the adjacent end of the handle 10 in the inoperative phantom position 28 of FIG. 2. When the rest member 28 is in the inoperative position 28, it merely functions as an extension of the handle 11 so that the tool 10 may be utilized as a screwdriver. When the tool 10 is used as a leveling instrument, the rest member 28 is moved along the shank 12 away from the handle 11 to a position such as that disclosed in solid lines, or even further away to the remote phantom position 28" of FIG. 2. Thus, when the rest member 28 is in the position 28", the entire length of the handle 11 as well as the rest member 28 may fit flush in an elongated or expanded stabilized position upon the surface whose angular position is to be determined. Moreover, the rest member 28 in its remote position supports the free end of the shank 12 against teetering or tilting longitudinally when the tool is used as a level.

In order to retain the rest member 28 in its retracted inoperative position 28", a ball detent 30 is formed in a corresponding cavity 31 within the rest member 28 and opening into the hole 29. A spring 32 is seated in the cavity 31 to bias the ball detent 30 against the shank 12. When the rest member 28 is in its inoperative position 28, the ball detent 30 is urged into the locking recess 33. When the rest member 28 is moved to its remote position 28", the ball detent 30 is forced into the locking recess 34. Thus, the rest member 28 is held in the two positions 28' or 28" until the rest member is forced longitudinally along the shank 12 to slide to a different position.

As previously mentioned, the tool 10 would be particularly valuable to an electrician who is running metal conduit, or to a plumber who is running pipe. Both the electrician and plumber need a screwdriver to secure the unistrut or hanger straps about the conduit or the pipe and secure these straps by screws to the adjacent wooden support. Moreover, the electrician or plumber also needs a level for hanging the conduit or pipe level, vertically or plumb, or at a specific angle, such as 45.

It will be understood that the tool 10 is not restricted to the use by electricians and plumbers, but as a variety of uses for various artisans in a variety of jobs where both a screwdriver and a level are required. Thus, the tool 10 affords convenience of a single tool for performing the dual function of driving screws and setting the article secured by screws at a predetermined angle.

It will also be understood that fewer or more cavities 19 may be incorporated, or any one or more of the cavities employed may be set at different angles where one or more angles are commonly encountered in the job for which the tool 10 will be used.

What is claimed is:

1. A screwdriver tool comprising:

a. an elongated screwdriver handle of transparent material having first and second ends,

b. a screwdriver shank of uniform cross-section having a blade at one end and an opposite end fixed in said second end of said handle,

c. a plurality of elongated cavities within said handle, each cavity partially containing liquid to form a bubble therein,

d. one of said cavities being parallel to the longitudinal axis of said handle, and

e. the longitudinal axis of each of said other cavities being at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said handle different from the angle of any other cavity.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said handle has a uniform cross-section, a rest member of the same cross-section as said handle, a hole in said rest member slidably receiving said shank so that said rest member is in axial alignment with said handle, said rest member being slidable between said handle and said blade.

3. The invention according to claim 2 further comprising means for securing said rest member in an inoperative position flush against said handle and an operative position remote from said handle.

4. The invention according to claim 3 in which said securing means comprises a ball detent in said rest member projecting into said hole and being biased against said shank, a first locking recess in said shank adjacent said handle for receiving said ball detent, and a second locking recess in said shank for receiving said ball detent, said second recess being in alignment with and spaced from said first recess.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which the angle of one of said other cavities is to the longitudinal axis of said handle. 

1. A screwdriver tool comprising: a. an elongated screwdriver handle of transparent material having first and second ends, b. a screwdriver shank of uniform cross-section having a blade at one end and an opposite end fixed in said second end of said handle, c. a plurality of elongated cavities within said handle, each cavity partially containing liquid to form a bubble therein, d. one of said cavities being parallel to the longitudinal axis of said handle, and e. the longitudinal axis of each of said other cavities being at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said handle different from the angle of any other cavity.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said handle has a uniform cross-section, a rest member of the same cross-section as said handle, a hole in said rest member slidably receiving said shank so that said rest member is in axial alignment with said handle, said rest member being slidable between said handle and said blade.
 3. The invention according to claim 2 further comprising means for securing said rest member in an inoperative position flush against said handle and an operative position remote from said handle.
 4. The invention according to claim 3 in which said securing means comprises a ball detent in said rest member projecting into said hole and being biased against said shank, a first locking recess in said shank adjacent said handle for receiving said ball detent, and a second locking recess in said shank for receiving said ball detent, said second recess being in alignment with and spaced from said first recess.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 in which the angle of one of said other cavities is 90* to the longitudinal axis of said handle. 